Land Use
Different land uses carry different risk assumptions. A residential site usually has stricter limits than an industrial property because people may live there long-term.
Purpose
What is bccsrtool?
bccsrtool uses B.C.'s Contaminated Sites Regulation (CSR) Schedule 3.1 to compare individual soil measurements with applicable soil standards. Exceedances may warrant investigation or professional assessment. Schedule 3.1 provides matrix soil standards in Part 1 and generic human-health and ecological soil standards in Parts 2 and 3. This tool quickly screens the concentration thresholds of these chemicals & compares measured values against B.C.'s CSR Schedule 3.1.
bccsrtool screens mandatory and applicable soil factors. Unassessed factors and unsupported regulatory conditions remain inconclusive.
Phase I
Site review
Phase II
Measured vs threshold concentrations
Phase III
Active remediation
Why I built this
Reduce manual lookup & cross-checking.
Before developing this tool, I completed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) project. While doing my research, I realised how tedious & complicated Schedule 3.1 was: matrix tables with eight site-specific factors, plus separate generic tables. Cross checking however many chemicals against however many standards would be a nightmare. There had to be a more straightforward way to do this.
bccsrtool was born. I wanted to streamline this process & also act as an educating tool. My goal was to build a straightforward screening tool that would allow users to quickly check Schedule 3.1 thresholds, compare the measured concentrations against the thresholds and understand the logic behind the thresholds. With this whole process done in just mere minutes.
Workflow
Four decisions, one screening path
Each step mirrors a small part of how early ESA information gets organized.
Contaminants
Site history points toward likely contaminants. A former gas station suggests BTEX and petroleum VOCs; a dry cleaner suggests chlorinated solvents.
Lab Data
Enter soil concentrations in supported soil units. Non-detects and reporting limits need separate professional interpretation; do not enter them as zero.
Screening Results
The tool compares valid measurements with numeric thresholds and flags below, at threshold, exceeds, or review required.
Site history clues
Site history gives the contaminant list a starting point
Phase I observations rarely give a final answer, but they help narrow the first screening list.
BTEX and petroleum VOCs often become the first substances to check.
Why it matters: fuel releases can affect soil, groundwater, and vapour pathways.PCE/TCE chlorinated solvents are common screening candidates.
Why it matters: solvents can be mobile and persistent.PAHs, metals, and creosote-related contaminants may be relevant.
Why it matters: historical handling areas can leave mixed impacts.Metals and miscellaneous regulated substances are often worth reviewing.
Why it matters: imported fill can carry a different site history.
Method
Threshold logic
Land use, applicable soil factors and source conditions determine the Schedule 3.1 soil standard. Municipal zoning does not automatically establish CSR land use.
Current and proposed land uses are checked separately.
The same concentration can screen differently under residential, commercial, or industrial assumptions.
Each sample is checked individually.
Organize measurements by area and sample, with detected results and non-detect reporting limits. Samples are never averaged. CSV imports are validated before they change saved data.
Units point to the matrix.
Soil measurements are compared against soil standards. Groundwater protection factors still use soil concentrations; water samples are excluded.
Near-threshold values deserve attention.
Values close to a threshold deserve careful review. The tool does not assign a separate borderline category.
Non-detect does not mean zero.
It means the lab did not detect the substance above its reporting limit. This tool does not evaluate non-detect qualifiers or reporting limits; leave the measurement blank and seek appropriate interpretation.
Threshold moment
The same lab value can pass under one land use and exceed under another.
ESA context
Where this fits in a real assessment process
This tool simplifies it into an educational screening interface.
- Phase I ESA
- Potential contaminants identified
- Applicable land use selected
- Preliminary lab results screened
- Potential exceedances flagged for review
Current tool data
Schedule 3.1 Parts 1–3 — source tables checked October 11, 2026
This badge signals the dataset version used by the tool, but users should always verify against official BC regulations before professional use.
Responsible use
Simplify early screening decisions.
Educational simplifications
- Not all regulated substances or exposure pathways are included.
- Background concentrations are not evaluated.
- Pathway applicability is intentionally simplified.
Regulatory limitations
- Thresholds must be verified against official regulations.
- Schedule 3.1 is the current focus; more standards may be added later.
- This is not a replacement for a qualified professional or Approved Professional review.
Official resources
Verify the source material
Use official BC resources for regulatory decisions and professional work.